Little Secrets
by Fujiwara Kumiko
Summary: A invisible border lies between truth and fabrication. Will they be able to grasp the truth? Most of all, will it actually assist them on this journey of theirs?
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Hello there everybody! It took me a long time to come up with a plot for this anime. So, please go ahead and read it. Please don't hesitate to let me know if I am making some characters seem OOC. Next chapter will be uploaded right away.

_Feedbacks and critiques will be loved._

_Edited by my wonderful Beta-reader _

**Summary: **Can the Saiyuki party afford to let someone tag along just because they have the same destination? Problem is, can this new addition be of any use to them? And what is the twisted scientist up to?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki…**

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**Prologue**

Everything has an origin; all organisms, no matter how different they may seem. It is impossible for them to be created from nothing and to have no purpose. There are cases, however, where some have believed that they no purpose, but exist nonetheless…

Deep in the west, in a place called Togenkyo, lays a great fortress where the revival of a powerful demon is taking place. The name of this demon is Gyumao; he had been sealed over 500 years ago. Someone has decided to bring him back once and for all…

With the use of a forbidden combination of science and magic, these scientists had created the Minus Wave that was sweeping the lands, affecting all demons and rupturing their harmony with the humans. Not only were they resurrecting this evil demon, but a creation was taking place as well elsewhere…

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**In Hontou Castle**

Inside the laboratory, located somewhere under the building, a female doctor stood before one of the incubation chambers, writing the observations for the day on her clipboard while adjusting the settings; it was almost time for them to test the subject.

Adjusting the glasses on the bridge of her nose, her attention was then focused on the control panel and she proceeded to increase the pressure inside. Inside laid their latest experiment, one that involved the forbidden combination of magic and science – which they are already using despite the Minus Wave –it was a request from their mistress.

To create a new toy for her to play, to break, to abuse until she grows tired of it.

Many months has passed since they started this and it was too late to turn back, not that they would want to.

"So, how is our lovely patient doing? Dr. Hwan…" A cool, smooth voice penetrated the concentration of the female, forcing her to turn away from the meters to find the sleazy doctor with a smirk on his face.

Leaning against the wall, he had been watching her for quite a while before letting his presence be known. _"Always the hard-worker," _he chuckled inwardly.

In his arms was the pink stuffed animal that he always carries with him. He was amused at the frown the woman gave him and simply walked up to her.

Anyway, it is not like he is not used to how she treats him. After all, they had been working together for some time now. Might as well just let her do what she wanted; it won't disturb their work, so why not?

"For the past few weeks she has been stable, and we have been receiving normal readings," Dr. Hwan replied, going over the papers on her clipboard, then handing them to man. "Here, see for yourself. I'm going to get some coffee…"

Without another word, she stepped out of the room. Ni Jianyi, the head scientist, and a twisted but surprisingly intelligent one; often disgusted her. Back in the lab, the dark-haired man chuckled softly at his colleague's behavior and decided to check on her report.

"I see…it won't be long now…" Dr. Ni said softly to himself, cradling his precious toy with one arm and holding the papers with the other. Indeed, the girl was doing very well.

Just as he had expected, they did not encounter many difficulties with this experiment; except for the past berserks they received. Compared to the situation now, where demons were going out of control, those were only minor and besides, she is still alive.

Resting in front of him was a special incubation chamber, containing a bubbling liquid, keeping the young lady inside and letting her live. It had been so long since she was let out of her prison. The last time they had released her, it had resulted in their toy going on a rampage, but they were able to force her to go back into hibernation.

Floating inside, her long flowing hair spread out in the water, and she was dressed only in a fitted, water-proof tunic and cycling shorts. Curled up in a fetus position – how typical, as they had 'created' her – her arms were loosely wrapped around her legs.

Her head gently bobbed from time to time, due to the movement of the bubbling water and her eyes remained ever closed. An oxygen mask was attached to her face, giving her a mixture of oxygen and sleeping gas. After some very complicated tests, they decided to give supplement the oxygen with the gas to keep her calm, in the event that she reacted violently.

Years had passed since she was brought here and soon her stay would end, starting her new life.

Placing the clipboard aside, he stepped closer to the chamber, admiring his latest work. "Don't worry, it won't be long now," he whispered softly to her, even though he knew that she was still in a deep slumber.

So he thought; the reality was that the girl was slowly stirring, ready to awaken. She was very confused, with no recollection of events before her hibernation. Questions raced through her mind, but she remained without answer.

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"_Who am I?"_

No image connected to this question appeared. Blank. Nothing came to her mind to help her.

"_What am I?"_

Is she human? Does she look one? What is this feeling, as if she could do anything…?

"_Where am I?"_

Even inside her mind, it was dark, completely empty. Before she knew it, she had slipped away once again.

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Too engrossed by the progress of this, he had failed to notice the other presence that had entered the room. But still, his senses were sharp and soon detected it. "Good evening, Lady Gyokumen Kyoushou." He turned around to bow to the demoness.

"Ah…is she ready yet," she asked, obviously bored and impatient. Not bothering to wait for his reply, she went closer to the chamber, observing the being inside. She was dressed in her usual robes, the neckline hanging off her shoulders and her hair gathered into a bun.

It had been so long since anything interesting happened and she was getting rather bored. Consequences did not matter, as she did not care as long as she is entertained and her beloved is resurrected. But they still required certain items in order to do so; this little girl was going to help them whether she liked it or not.

Bringing a hand up, lightly touching his chest with two fingers, Ni bent slightly and replied, with a small smile on his lips, "I'm sorry, but we may have to wait a few more days, just to be sure."

A sigh escaped from the lips of the demon as she placed one of her clawed hands on the side of her face.

"Is that so? I was hoping that she would be released by tomorrow," she pouted, her elbow resting in the palm of her other hand. Oh dear, this was taking a bit too long, but awakening her early may negatively affect their precious toy.

"What is her name?" Came out of the blue, for no reason other than curiosity and the hope that the name suited her. "I still do not know," she added, turning her gaze to the doctor who still had the usual smirk plastered on his face.

"Ming Yun is the name she was given," he replied, inserting both of his hands into pockets, letting the pink bunny hang precariously between his arm and torso.

"Ming…Yun," Koushou said softly, testing feeling of the name on her lips. She decided that she liked it. Her lips were tugged into a smirk as she rested a palm on the clear and warm surface of the vessel before them. "It means destiny, does it not?"

'Smart, this woman is,' the doctor thought, for he knew that the name is deeply connected to the owner. A name bestowed to her. Her destiny was already laid out, waiting for her to begin. Will she accept it?

"That's right…"

Soft laughter could be heard from the demon, her shoulders lightly shaking before she straightened herself, the room echoing with her cackles. Excitement filled her eyes, gleaming in amusement; ideas on how to 'use' this puppet of hers were already flooding her mind.

"Of course it does! It means that her destiny has been decided! By us!" She chortled, enjoying it all, and turned to exit the room. Calming herself little by little, the back of her hand was over her mouth.

Once again, Ni was left alone with his little friend and his creation; the faint sound of the positive turmoil of his mistress echoed in the corridor. Chuckling lightly, he looked up at the girl, suspended in the body of water holding her, keeping her captive…for now…

"_No one can ever escape fate, especially if it has been already decided…"_

In the corridor outside stood Dr. Hwan holding a cup of coffee in her hands, calculating the requirements before they finish. Then the familiar cackling of their master came from somewhere down the hall. She knew what it meant: Lady Gyokumen Koushou was pleased with the current results of their experiment and her wish of starting the next phase had been granted. They could never decline her desires.

Fortunately for her, it seemed that the demoness was walking away from her, so she continued on back to the laboratory to find the head scientist still observing the chamber.

"Well? What do you think of her?" She asked, stepping inside and taking a sip of the hot drink.

"Hmm?" He lolled his head towards her, pretending not to have heard her question. Yes, he enjoys teasing people like her: it livens up the place. Ni watched as she drank some of her coffee, igniting a craving for caffeine within him. "You mean Ming?"

"Of course I do; who else?" Hwang irately replied, placing down the mug. This man could never act serious, even when the situation called for it. Although the process was going smoothly, they could not take any risks. If anything were to go wrong, all their work would be for naught, a total waste.

"Tomorrow," he stated, switching his attention back to the female specimen. Judging from the results of today and the previous weeks, she was stable enough to walk down the path that has been placed before her. "So you will have to prepare 'that'."

This did not surprise the brunette at all; it was expected that they were to carry out the next set of procedures earlier than expected. Nothing was wrong with the girl, and all that was left was to put in the final piece. Giving him a curt nod, she went off to prepare the other lab for the operation and inform the others about the new plan. There was a possibility that it will not be a quiet one.

Satisfied with his co-worker's acquiescence, he decided to follow her even though it would mean leaving his new toy alone; he would come back soon. Only, when he does, it would be to do one last adjustment. At the moment, however, he was getting all giddy inside at the prospect of a new chapter. With a sly smirk on his face, he held the bunny up before him.

"Aren't you excited?" he questioned, making the stuffed animal nod its head before chuckling and saying, "I feel the same way. And that's because…well…it's best to keep quiet for now…"

Unlike the others, he usually acts inexperienced and immature; well, only when he feels like it. He is not to be underestimated, however, for he had all kinds of little tricks hidden up his sleeve.

With that, he tucked the bunny in his pocket and went on following the woman in front of him.

"_Because, it's fun to play with someone's life…"_


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: **Here is the first chapter and I do hope you have enjoyed the last one.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki...  
**

_Feedbacks and critiques are appreciated._

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**Chapter One**

Up high in the mountains, where snow thrives, where the world is harsher then the ones beyond the terrain. All this due to the weather, conditions making it harder for people to live there, but to those who came from the mountain, it was like a rainy day, only colder and the raindrops are frozen.

But to these men, it was an obstacle…

"Hakkai! Are we there yet?" Gojyo shouted over the howling wind, his hands cupping his mouth in order to have his voice heard. They have been walking for hours in this blizzard.

"Hakkai!"

Snow was heavy; they could hardly see or hear each other. So it was essential to shout their heads off, even just to say one word. If they don't get out of this weather soon, they just might turn into human popsicles. Why in the hell they had to come here anyway!?! Oh right…they were supposed to go to some stupid mountain shrine and pick something up from the priest who dwells there and guess who was assigned to go? That's right, all four of them…

Two of his companions were ahead of him, the monk and the brunette, making it a bit difficult to communicate, but fortunately, he was heard. "Almost there!" was his reply, and he could just see the outline of Hakkai through the snow.

"I…can't…walk…anymore…" a groan from behind him came out and there was the sound of something heavy crashing onto the ground, interrupting his thoughts...

"Gojyo…"

Hours of plowing their way throw this snowy obstacle had drained him, legs heavy from pushing their way through the thick layer of snow and he was in dire need of food.

Turning around, he found a monkey playing in the snow, or more like lazing about. Irritated, he walked over to the boy and gently kicked his side.

"Hey, didn't you hear? We're almost there." Great, this means that he was going to be forced to carry this runt. No response came but more groans, annoying him even further.

"Get up! Or else we'll get left behind!" he shouted near his ear. If he was going to have to smash the guy's eardrums to get him moving then he wasn't going to hesitate.

To his surprise, he did, well he got up into a sitting position. His hood fluttering in the wind as his golden eyes started to plead silently to help him. This was what he had been trying to avoid in the first place.

"Carry me! My legs are too heavy!" Goku cried, his hand tugging on the pants of the red-haired man.

"Carry you? Why would I do that?" Crimson eyes narrowed at the sight of this boy being weak in front of him. Just before they entered this area where the storm was taking place, he was all excited to get to their next destination and for what reason? Food, as always. Right now, he wasn't feeling merciful and instead tried to shake off the boy's hold on his leg. "Hurry up! It's going to be dark soon!"

A few meters away from them, Sanzo was watching in annoyance for the two had dared to make them stop and only because someone was tired. Glaring at them with his piercing violet eyes, his hand was already on its way to his gun, planning to shoot them. Any second longer in this gale and there might be some red amidst all this whiteness. So what if Goku was tired? They were almost at the next village, and then he can rest once they get there. The sooner they do this, the faster they can return to the Keiun temple, away from the harshness of storms and wilderness of this mountain.

Great, he needed a cigarette, now. To his dismay, he can't have one at the moment due to the snow. One would be smart enough to know that it would be waste of time to use a lighter with the wind this strong, trying in vain to blow away to-be victims. Abandoning the thought of taking his weapon out, for he just might waste a bullet and miss, he turned around to Hakkai, showing how unpleased he was right now.

Also watching the two who had fallen behind, Hakkai chuckled lightly, as it wasn't the first time that Goku was the first to say that he worn out. Although he can't help but agree silently that they have to quicken their pace if they want to find shelter before night comes. Then there would be lesser chances of finding the town. From afar, faint outlines of houses could be seen.

"Well, looks like we have no choice but to carry him." Hakkai said aloud, although it was hardly heard and it was said to no one in particular, unless the monk was listening for once. Speaking of which, it seems that he was getting tempted to do some shooting practice on the two now struggling men. Fortunately, he decided against it and did his signature glare instead. 

"See! You can move! Now get your lazy bottom off the snow!" Gojyo snapped, holding the wrists of the being underneath him. They had ended up wrestling each other and now he had the boy pinned! Now this was going to be easy…or so he thought…

"No! I can't walk anymore! Carry me!" Goku answered back, trying to get the water kappa off him. Then an idea came to him. With his knees he planted them on Gojyo's chest and pushed hard, making him let go and tumble into the snow.

"Bleh!" Goku stuck his tongue out and began to do some sort of victory dance. From out of nowhere, he had energy back, and it was apparent for he was being his usual playful self.

Well, that's what it looked like, but Gojyo couldn't tell as there was some snow obscuring his vision, almost eating it in fact. Alright, now somebody was going to pay. Spitting out the dirty snow, he made to get up when his hand came into contact with something solid and soft…"Hm?" On his knees, he started patting the snow around him and saw that there was something sticking out, something pale. "What's this?"

Using only his index and middle finger, he carefully pulled it out, his eyes squinted to try and see despite the snow falling down. What he saw almost made his heart stop.

"AHHHH!!! A HAND!!!" He had just pulled out a human hand! Quickly he dropped it and scrambled his sorry butt way from the seemingly gruesome scene. Not even bothering to check if there was still something attached it or not, and didn't notice that there wasn't even any sign of blood.

The remaining trio watched in confusion at their mate's sudden reaction. A hand? An eyebrow raised and intrigued by the red-haired demon, Hakkai bravely walked towards the spot where the body part was found. Meanwhile, Goku was taking the pleasure in seeing Gojyo so scared, who is currently clutching the front of his shirt, where his heart was located. His heart racing as he definitely wasn't expecting that!

As for the monk, he just watched as Hakkai began to inspect the ground, careful as to keep his guard up. If it's a victim that had been cut up by a demon then there was no surprise there. It makes sense to them to dispose the body right after.

"Tch…" Annoyed as the Gojyo should have been used to it by now and realize the fact that they have seen more gruesome events. Still, it told them that there is a possibility that demons might be in the area. That is, if there are some who can take on the combination of the freezing cold and presence of wild animals lurking in the depths of the woods.

"Ha-ha! The water sprite got scared!" Goku teased, a finger pointed at his target for the day, the man who just freaked out at the sight of something that wasn't that shocking for him. Somehow though, he was standing on his own two feet, and was hugging his middle for he couldn't stop himself from laughing. Yes, he should be serious as a body was found, but the expression on Gojyo's face was priceless!

Shaking a fist at him, Gojyo started to approach the boy, not caring anymore that they were out in the blistering snow. First he has to teach somebody a lesson.

"If it were you then you would have been surprised as well!" he shouted angrily, grabbing him.

"You're wrong! Unlike you! I'm don't get scared!"

"Shut up monkey boy!"

Both of them had once again started to holler and argue against one another, almost overpowering the sounds of the blizzard. Of course, it wasn't enough.

While those two were getting all hyped up, their chocolate-haired friend is currently on one knee, and had located the hand, plus the body it was attached to. Just from gently holding it, he was able to tell immediately that it was a woman and the faint heat emitting from her told him that she was still alive. Panic coursed through his body as he pulled her out, revealing an unconscious female.

"There's still time…" No time to examine her for any other injuries though, they have to get her out of the wilderness first!

"Gojyo! Goku! Help me! A woman here needs our help!" he called out, sliding his hands under her ribs and knees and lifted her body with little difficulty. Oh dear, her skin was already starting to turn blue. Does this mean that she had been out here for hours? Even so, with this storm going on, it just decreased the temperature, accelerating the freezing process.

Sanzo watched, emotionless, as Hakkai took a complete stranger into his arms. Almost interested to see that somebody had been out here longer than them, but then again, it was none of his business. All he wanted to do was get out of this storm and smoke. From where he was currently standing, his violet gaze began to analyze the person, taking note of the tattered clothes on her and the visible wounds on her arms and legs. Her body scarred so badly and yet not a single blood stain in sight. Hold on, why should he care?. After all, this person is just going to be a nuisance to them soon. With this thought, he turned to the direction of the village, obviously telling them to go already.

"Woman?"

Bingo! Looks like the heavens wanted to grace him for the day by making him find the lady. It was him who first discovered her and now he was going to make sure that he gets dibs on her. Forgetting all about Goku he rushed to Hakkai's side and allowed himself to be in charge of carrying her. Pushing away all unnecessary thoughts, he suddenly became serious. It won't do any good if he tries to make a move on a weak woman.

"Huh?" Goku who had been laughing stopped as his brain finally registered what was happening, and it wasn't funny anymore.

Although he was glad that they can go now and they will reach the town in no time. Sensing the tension in the air, he thought that it was best to save the laughs for later, but he was glad that they will get there soon. Turning about to the direction of the town, he saw Sanzo already moving. "Ah! Sanzo wait for me!" he called out, sprinting towards him, snow crunching under his shoes, an arm over his eyes as he tries to see through the heavy rain of snow.

Gingerly shifting her in his arms, as to let her head rest on his shoulder to keep it from dangling back, Gojyo started to run towards the village. Determined to rescue the damsel in distress, with the Hakki closely following him, Goku going after Sanzo who happens to be walking casually ahead of them, he held her tight as to prevent her from falling.

How convenient though, here they were, on their way to do a stupid task given to them from the temple, making them go up this treacherous mountain just to get an item that was supposed to be valuable and the four comes across a casualty. And to add another point to the their lucky chalkboard, the town was just ahead.

Now the blizzard was getting stronger, almost as though it was triggered by them finding the victim. But they don't have to worry that much, just a bit more and they will make it. They were not going to let someone die right in their hands. On the way, Hakkai stole a glance at her clothes and became aware of the fact that he clothes were free of bloodstains. Strange, for she was covered in cuts and bruises. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he focused his emerald eyes on shelter ahead. Later they can get some answers.

The blond priest had been trotting for a while, as he didn't want to wait any longer and just get this all done and over with! The sound of the men behind sprinting reached his ears, causing him to stop and turn to see that they were playing the role of rescuers and that the womanizer was holding the woman.

"Cheh…they better hurry up…" he grumbled and proceeded in going to the entrance of the village. He wasn't going to wait for them this time. But as expected from the trio, the fact that they had just been entrusted with a person who is in critical condition, all of them caught up.

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"Excuse me!" Hakkai called out in the empty Inn, ringing the bell on the table and looking around frantically for the clerk wasn't around. They did it, all of them had arrived and now they just need to take care of the lady, but they still had to get her warmed up.

Gojyo, who was still carrying the woman, watched uneasily as who knows how much time they have left, even though she wasn't in danger of getting frostbite, they didn't want to take any chances. Now that he wasn't running around anymore, he just realized how light this woman is, despite from the looks of her current age. She seemed to be in her early twenties. When they had found her earlier, they were in too much of a hurry in getting her here that he had failed to see right away the black hair streaming from her head.

What also caught his attention was that her clothes were ruined, but still whole enough to cover most of her body. One thing is for sure though, even though her body was tarnished with afflictions, she's a pretty one. He wonders if she was single. Ack! He really has to stop thinking such nonsense in situations like this. One day, it will just go against him._ "But I wonder what the heck happened to her..."  
_

"Huh? Where is everyone?" Goku asked, looking around at the empty room, and brushed away the bits of snow from his shoulders and hair. After entering the village, they had spotted this Inn right away.

Nonchalantly leaning on the wall, Sanzo flicked his lighter open and lit a cigarette. Watching as Hakkai finally caught the attention of a sleepy old man as he inhaled the nicotine and allowed the smoke to waft away after exhaling. Finally, he got what he wanted, so now he will cooperate, when he wants to…

Sleepily rubbing his eyes, the wizened man took his place behind the counter, trying to focus on the new guests.

"Yes, may I help you?" A question that was always asked first, even if it was quite obvious on what was happening right now. Forgive this man, for he has retired early for they hardly have guests at this time. Fully awake now, he cast brief glances at them one by one, his eyes lingering on the woman in the red-headed man's arm longer. Nothing needed to be said; he already knew what to do and gave a curt nod to Hakkai before turning to the back door. "Hey! Get the first aid kit!"

Inside the room, the voice of a child replying was heard and all of them stared as the innkeeper took one of the keys from the wall. "Come on, I'll lead you lot to your rooms." He said, stepping up to the foot of the stairs.

Relief washed over the monocled man, as for sure that they can save her now. How lucky for them that this man is an experienced one. Being able to stay calm and took the initiative to already start helping them. He turned to the three and said, his calm expression replacing the worried one, "Let's go and get warmed up."

"Right," All the panic and tension gone, he took the honor of walking ahead of them with the patient in his muscular arms. Finally, she was going to get patched and maybe, he just might be rewarded for saving her. After all, it was him who found her and if he hadn't, then she would have died. Gojyo looked down at her as she started to stir, and realized that her body was twitching in pain. Must mean that her body wasn't numb anymore and now the pain was apparent.

"It's alright, you're in good hands…" he murmured to her, his lips tugged into a small smile as they arrived at the second floor.

"So…" The clerk broke the silence between them, leading them down the hallway to the rooms. "What happened?" A question referring to the injured one.

Beside him happens to be Cho Hakkai who had been planning to discuss on the room arrangements as someone would have to stay with her while she recovers and stay here, safe from the snowy storm outside. But the aged man beat him to it, starting the little question game. A bit startled he was, but quickly got over it as he started to elaborate this short story. Quite simple actually, they just happened to be at the right place at the right time, finding her moments before freezing entirely.

His eyebrows went up after being told that they just happened to find her. For him this was a surprise, because the stranger wasn't in good shape at all. Also, there was something else, but he will mention it to them, after they get some rest.

Behind the group, is the cranky Genjo Sanzo, who had already finished his cigarette and was gazing at the heavy rain of snow with no interest or whatsoever. At least it wasn't rain, even though both are only different in terms of form. His eyes flickered over to the two in front, conversing with one another when he should be sitting in the corner, enjoying his smokes and basking in the warmth of an open fire.

Any longer he was going have to give them a piece of his mind for delaying, but he wasn't in the mood to shout and so kept quiet but let out a sound telling them that he was getting impatient now. Too bad though, for it was drowned out by an even louder one that came from the fourth member of the group.

Pausing in the middle of the corridor, all of them turned to Goku, who had stopped and was now holding onto his growling stomach. The sound came again. No doubt about it, he was hungry…

"Hakkai…I need food…" he whimpered, his eyes begging them to feed right now.

"Huh?" The old man titled his head a bit at the boy, slightly confuse but then suddenly started to laugh. How amusing, if they had told him sooner than he could have already gotten the food ready.

Stifling his laughs with his hand, he flashed a kind smile to them, "Pardon me, but I will get some food for all of you right away once you all have settled down." At those words, he walked up to one of the rooms and opened it, gesturing them to come forward.

"Two or three of you can stay here. I'll have another room prepared for the rest of you."

The mention of food made Goku shout in glee, for not only they were out of the snow, but now he can fill up his stomach. Eager to eat, he bounded past them and entered the room.

"Really…I swear that he has a stomach for a brain…" mumbled Gojyo, side stepping into the room as to avoid hurting the lady.

Hakkai and Sanzo followed suit, all silent but nonetheless glad to have finally arrived at a place that's dry and warm. Entering the room, they saw that there were two beds, beside each other with a small table in between, a bigger table at the corner complete with four chairs and top it all off, a fireplace situated on one side of the wall. Cozy indeed the atmosphere is as the old man started a fire and added some extra wood.

As usual, none of this impressed the priest as his violet eyes scanned the room, it didn't matter as long as it was a place to sleep and he is able to smoke freely. Not even bothering to thank the man, he went straight to the table, away from them and sat down. Shrugging off the now slightly drenched cloak, he took out another cigarette and lit it.

"Alright then, let's see if she's still in danger or not…" He then approached Gojyo who was setting her down gently on the extra bed.

Since they had found shelter and help, he was calm at first that nothing could go wrong now, but after looking closely at her, he had mistaken. The smile on his face was wiped away as it registered that her injuries weren't minor, but not major either. Still, she had been obviously attacked and had barely escaped. Even her clothes say so, torn in various places.

"Oh my…it's a miracle that she's still alive…" he whispered, taking her small wrist into his hands, and checked her pulse. Good, it wasn't getting weaker and her body was warming up now.

"Um...Hakkai?"

"Hai?"

"Who's going to…you know? Put bandages on her and all that?" Don't blame him for bringing this up, he wasn't being a pervert, just using the noodle called his brain. All of them were guys and well, she's a woman, so of course they couldn't do it, so he though that it was best to point it out before they forget.

Due to the awkwardness right now, thanks to the fact that they were now completely aware of that little detail, all of them had become silent, even Sanzo diverted his attention away from the window. While Goku, being the youngest and innocent, in various ways, just blinked, puzzled as he hasn't quite grasped that idea yet. Took him a few more seconds before finally getting the clue.

"Ah! That's right! But Hakkai…" The teenage boy laid his eyes on the man who was usually in charge of the medical department in their group.

For a long time now, it has been Hakkai who had been taking care of their injuries, with his ki and mother-like behavior. As they all know, there are places in life where they are forbidden to enter, without the consent needed. Even though Hakkai may seem like a motherly figure, he still can't do it….

"Excuse me…I have the first aid kit now…" a small timid voice broke the silence, having all of them focus on the little boy standing in the doorway. Surprised at the sudden switch of spotlight, he held out the box in his hands and said nervously, "Here, everything that you need is inside…"

"Perfect timing, Jing." Getting off his knees, he turned to his son and smiled at the men. "If you like, I can ask my wife to take care of changing her."

"What a relief…" Hakkai turned away from the woman, and then became aware of the fact that because of the snow, it had melted and now their clothes were getting drenched.

"Wait here, I'll go and call her. While she's tending to the lady, you all can take a hot bath and freshen up." He told them, before leaving them all in alone with his son, whom was still standing there with the kit in his hands. Realizing that he was just standing there gawking at them, he blushed madly and walked up to Hakkai, giving him the white box.

"Here, I'm going to help father…"

Before he could get the chance to thank the child, he had already bolted out of the room. Alright, now that was interesting. A little boy scared of them, or maybe he was just shy. Putting that aside, he turned to the three. First, there is something important that they have to settle.

"Okay, who gets the first bath?"

Of course, usually being the first is the best, but it's also a competition..

------------

"Ahh…I feel much better now…" Gojyo told himself, walking back to the room while drying his hair with the towel. Dressed in a loose shirt and a pair of comfy pants, he felt great! The hot bath did the trick, after hours of trekking in the snow. His muscles may still be aching in some places but other than that, he was relaxed now. 

"_Oh yeah…the old man's wife should be done now…" _Grinning wolfishly, he entered the room, excited to see if the woman was awake or not, but was met with Hakkai's calm but somewhat serious smile.

"Gojyo, you do know that we don't even know anything about her yet?"

Slightly astounded by this man's deduction that he had been planning to make his move on her, he took a step back but quickly recovered. "Of course, but what makes you say that?" Gojyo asked, innocently, and stepped around Hakkai, smiling sheepishly. _"Geeze…it's like this man can read my mind…"_

Hands behind his back, Hakkai watched in mere amusement as Gojyo pretended to be not guilty for her personal thoughts. Earlier, they had decided that the order of those who would take a bath is the order of those who entered the room. The first being the last. This to everybody's surprise was Sanzo's privilege to the hot water as he had been the last to step into the room. Thus, Gojyo being the last to wash up.

All of them had gathered in the room, just when the kind old plump lady was finishing up. While they were taking their bath, she gave the poor girl a sponge bath and treated her wounds. During this process, she couldn't help but notice the way the woman was sleeping, not even wincing when she applied medicine on her wounds. Even though there are people who are heavy sleepers, they would still be able to experience the pain.

Could it be due to fatigue? But how on earth did she end up near their village? The journey from the bottom of the mountain to this place is exceedingly long.

A miracle this is though, for them to find her just in time. Any longer out there in this kind of weather and would have been frozen to death.

Seeing that the last man was done, she closed the first aid kit and straightened herself. "Well, I'm done now." She announced and was about to take her leave when she noticed that they would like to ask some questions. "Yes?"

"Anou…how are her wounds?" Hakkai asked anxiously, leaving Goku to helping himself to the food that had been brought to their room.

"Don't worry," she replied reassuringly, then glanced back at the sleeping woman."Nothing serious at all. No broken bones, no fractures and no signs of internal bleeding and such. And those cuts aren't that serious, but she will have to get a lot of rest if she wants those bruises to go away." A kind smile graced her lips as she elaborated to Hakkai.

Right now, her arms, neck and most of her torso were covered in white bandages. While bandaging her, she had noticed that the wounds seemed to have come from some kind of weapon, possibly a whip. It's best that when she wakes up, she tells them herself as to be sure. No use in jumping to conclusions. "Oh, before I forget. I noticed that she didn't have any belongings so I had no choice but to use some of your clothes." To prove this, she pointed at the bag where she had gotten the clothes from.

"Huh? That bag…" Immediately some of the color of his face had drained away as he knows very well who owns that bag. What were they to do? Amazing though, that _he_ hasn't noticed yet that his personal space had just been invaded and he was right there! _"Looks like Sanzo will be in a bad mood later on…" _

Speaking of which, he seemed to be absorbed with the storm raging outside to notice, apparently contented in staying where he was at the moment. Seated on the chair that was positioned right beside the window, an ashtray on the sill with a cup of tea and smoking away. Eventually, he will realize that a total stranger was using some of his clothes.

"Is it alright? I don't have any clothes to fit her though…" Her concerned voice made him remember that she was still there.

Not wanting to offend her or anything, Hakkai nodded, telling her that he was alright with this. "No, it's alright. We'll take care of it." Truth is, there was nothing they can do as definitely they couldn't just leave her like that with only bandages covering her.

She was relieved by this and gave them a short bow before exiting the room, leaving all of them in peace.

"Hey! Stop hogging all the food!" Gojyo snapped, pulling Goku into a headlock as to prevent him from devouring everything. "I haven't even eaten any of those dumplings yet!"

Mouth full of food, Goku began clawing at the arms wrapped around his neck. "Get off! It's because you're too slow!" he said with difficulty. Somehow able to loosen Gojyo's grip, he swallowed and let out a sigh. "Ahh….that was delicious…" Satisfied, a dreamy smile came to his face, patting his slightly bloated stomach.

"Baka! You eat too much!" he spat out, before letting go. Now that the monkey boy was finally full, the three of them can eat. Leaning back, he took a long drag from his cigarette. Exhaling out the smoke, he inclined his head towards the brunette. "Hey, how is she doing anyway?"

Likewise, it was time to relax, so he walked over to join the red-haired smoker for dinner and started to tell him what he was told about her current condition.

Meanwhile, the monk was deep in thought as for some reason there was something about this woman that won't stop bothering him, even though this is the first time he has laid his eyes on her. As though there was more than that meets the eye. Stubbing his cigarette he tore his eyes away from the window to the unconscious woman. What's this? There was something familiar about the shirt she was wearing…

No wonder, it was _his_ shirt…

"Why…Why is she wearing my shirt?" he asked in a deadly tone, a vein bulging out, and his hand already crushing the used white stick in his hand. It was bad enough that they had to take her in, but wearing his clothes? His violet eyes already flashing hints of his rising temper, he glared at the two men. "Answer me…"

On cue came the appearance of the sweat drop on top of each head of the two. If they were lucky enough, they would be able to somehow calm him down in order to prevent him from trying to shoot their heads off. Quickly Hakkai went over to the angered priest, waving his hands defensively.

"Ah, Sanzo please just let it pass for now. When we found her she didn't have any of her things, and of course we had to do something to keep her warm, aside from the fire and the blankets. Once she wakes up-"

"Urusai!" Sanzo's face hardened, as it was too late now for she was already wearing it. His eyes traveled over to her once again, taking note of which one she had on right now. It was the white long-sleeved shirt that had buttons at the front. Great, it just happened to be the one that he had grown to wearing often. _"Tch…I knew it…she's just a burden to us all…" _Although in reality, he was saying that she is, to him.

The two men relaxed, as the monk didn't even take out his gun and threaten to shoot them. Shoulders slumping down as he was relieved, Hakkai took his seat beside Gojyo, and poured himself a cup of the herbal tea.

"Just make sure it's washed right after." Sanzo quickly added, scowling at them for he wasn't going to let them think that he was being easy on them tonight, and eyes full of doubt that it would change the fact that someone wore his shirt. Unclenching his hand, he let the crushed cigarette fall onto the ashtray and just reached for another. Eyebrows furrowed, his mind started to wonder as he was getting curious as to why up until now she hasn't woken up yet. Once she does, he was going to make her regret wearing his shirt…

Startled by Sanzo's extra words, Hakkai and Gojyo stiffened. Luckily for the brunette, he was just about to take a sip of the hot drink, and he could have choked at the monk's voice. Once they were sure that the angry blond wasn't going to fire another set of words at them, they returned to the food.

"_Grumpy old monk…" _Gojyo rolled his eyes, making sure that it went unnoticed and began picking at his food. Why if it had been his shirt, he wouldn't care at all, especially if a person of the opposite of the gender is wearing it. Now this blondie was getting too touchy with his possessions. Well, he was going to let this pass now, just thinking about the monk was ruining his appetite…

Goku, who had been watching them and silently reacting to Sanzo's temper, kept on staring at his two roommates. Until finally, he just had to let it out, "Ne, who's going to sleep here?" A finger on his chin, he looked at them curiously, blinking at them.

Another detail that they had forgotten…

Setting his drink down, Hakkai gave him a good-natured smile and replied, "Well, I'm not sure but I think I will stay with her as to keep an eye on her."

"Then I stay with her as well!" Gojyo grinned widely, but was given a punch by Goku, almost making him fall head-first into his food. Rubbing the sore spot on his head, he whipped around to face Goku, who had a knowing smile on his face. "What did you do that for!?!"

"You just want to get close to her" he pointed an accusing finger at the perverted water sprite. "Pervert!"

"Keep your mouth shut!"

_THWACK! THWACK!_

Sanzo has had enough with their bickering and slapped them on the heads with his paper fan, and yelled, "URUSAI!" Both began to cower in fear, for they knew what was to come next, and that was the revolver.

"I can't stand being with any of you two, so I'm going to sleep here." His eyes gleaming as he spoke, telling them indirectly that they had no choice or they would have to face the wrath of his banishing gun. Anyway, it wasn't uncommon for him to be bunking with Hakkai, the only man who doesn't anger him, not as often as these two nitwits does.

Gojyo and Goku swallowed the lump in their throats, nodding wordlessly in agreement and immediately busied themselves in preparing for bed. "Hmph." Without another word, he retreated back to his spot beside the window, leisurely enjoying his cigarettes. Now as that was settled, all that's left is to get some answers from the woman, once she is free from this slumber of hers.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: **I have made a lot of changes to the story. The title, plot, etc..have all been modified. Here is the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki...**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

The men had gathered at the dining room to discuss with the innkeeper on the weather and their stay. Goku and Gojyo had retired early, sleeping in the room next to the one where the woman lies. Hakkai took the liberty to ask for the owner's time and beside him is Sanzo, who only joined him to get something else to drink.

Folding his hands gently on the wooden surface like it was a routine to go through before beginning a conversation, Hakkai asked politely, "Excuse me, could you tell us how long will this storm last?"

"Let's see…it's already been two days…so you might want to wait for a few more days…" he replied, pouring the two and himself some wine.

Concern filled his jade eyes at the reply, but it will give them some time to let the woman heal. Oh wait, she wasn't all that injured as there was the absence of blood dripping from her wounds. Still, she does need to recuperate. "I see…so you won't mind us staying until it's over?" he asked, accepting the glass of wine..

"Of course! Stay as long as you want. It's been a while since we had new faces around here." The old man's face was slightly flushed when he replied enthusiastically, and downed his drink. "After all, we are in the mountains and travelers hardly come here. Only seldom…"

Sanzo just swirled the red contents in his glass, as he listened on to their conversation. He had only joined the brunette as he was only interested in the wine being offered to them. How annoying, not only were they trapped with a complete stranger but their mission has just been delayed thanks to the storm outside. Doesn't the temple realize how much they go through just to carry out the tasks they give them? Yeah, sure most of them it's the three he orders to do them while he stays in the temple, but still…

Silently, he drank the wine, allowing the liquor to ease him until it was half-full and lazily turned his head to the two. He listened quietly as the innkeeper continued on about hardly having any new guests. Of course people barely come here because this is a mountain, a very treacherous one. And there is the fact that snowstorms happens here quite often. It can be confusing to others as to why people would even bother living in a place like this. But it's natural to just stay where one would feel most comfortable with, especially if they have already adapted to their surroundings.

"Here! Have some more!" Poised to refill their glasses, he gave the two a toothy grin.

"Don't mind if I do." Hakkai held out his glass.

Sanzo just watched as his glass was refilled as well and drank it without thanking the old man. Hakkai sighed at this but let it pass like always. Not much can be done anyway when it comes to the monk's behavior.

"Hey…there is something that has been bothering me…" The innkeeper said, as he corked open what seemed to be the fifth wine bottle. His face was red, but he was still somewhat sober.

His fingers loosely wrapped around the stem of his glass, the brunette looked up at his drinking companion. "Yes?"

"It's about that girl…" Setting the bottle down, the old man looked at Hakkai. His eyes were serious despite his slightly flushed cheeks.

At this, Sanzo shifted his gaze away from the side and focused it on the old man.

Hakkai's eyebrows arched in confusion, tilting his head a bit to the side. He was just about to take a sip of the blood-red wine when the topic of the stranger was brought up, and so lowered his glass. "Then may I hear what has been bothering you Mr…"

The man waved a hand at him. "Jirou is fine, you can call me that. " He replied, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper colored hair and focused his eyes on the jade orbs. "You said that you lot were on your way here and found her right? And saw that she was injured…" Jirou said aloud.

"That's right." Hakkai nodded... A small smile formed on his lips as he politely asked, "Is there something we should know?"

Before answering the question, Jirou downed his drink, letting out a sigh as he firmly placed the glass down on the wooden surface. "There is." He said simply, and reached over for the wine bottle. "Kind of suspicious actually…she's injured but there are hardly any bandits in this area…not with this kind of weather going on…" While replenishing his glass, his gray eyes flickered over to his guests.

These words told the monk that this man named, Jirou is a sharp one in spite of his age and being almost drunk. It had been bothering him a bit as to how she could have gotten those wounds and they did not look fresh at all. There wasn't a single bloodstain on her. Well, that was what it looked to him as he just kept his distance away from her.

"Also, it's quite a journey from here to the bottom of the mountain, so I wonder how she ended up outside the town…"

So, they weren't the only ones who had been pondering on this. Hakkai knew from the start that Sanzo was thinking about it as well. How could he have not noticed? It would only be like him to try and analyze this situation. To try and solve this mysterious puzzle, lest he decides that it was not of his concern.

"You're saying that it should have been impossible for her to end up there?" Hakkai inquired. He finally drank his share of the wine, quenching his slightly parched throat.

Jirou's lips were tugged into a small smile even though this was not really something to smile at. "Exactly, so doesn't seem strange and too convenient for you four to discover her in such a critical state?"

"But if you're thinking that she's a demon, she's not as I don't feel any demonic aura from her and there doesn't seem to be any limiter on her. " he said, abandoning his glass for the moment, entwining the fingers of both of his hand together, positioned in front of his chin.

From the very beginning, when he first touched her, he had sensed no evil vibes from her.

_She doesn't even look like one… _thought Sanzo. Even though there was no limiter, it was still possible for a demon to walk around without one. There was nothing weird about her physical appearance (not counting her injuries). Ears were not pointy, no clawed hands and no strange markings on her. All in all, she was just an ordinary human.

"That's good, but anyway demons are living in harmony with us humans in some areas…" he replied softly. Bringing his glass to his lips, he added, "But you don't have to worry, all of you can still stay here, as long as none of you cause any trouble."

"Thank you, you're too kind." Hakkai smiled sincerely at Jirou then turned to Sanzo. "Isn't that great Sanzo? He asked a bit too cheerfully.

"Hmph…whatever…" grumbled the priest and looked off to the side.

At his comment, the old man raised a glass to Hakkai, grinning from ear to ear, still intoxicated with the alcohol. "No problem! I'm just doing my job…"

With that he emptied his glass, loving the way the liquor tasted. Face getting redder and redder by the minute; he just helped himself to more of the wine. Then started to go on about the arrangements of the _five _them staying here for a few days until the storm has calmed down enough for them to continue their little quest and something about menus…

Hakkai just chuckled lightly at the man's drunken behavior and watched as he started attacking the rest of the bottles on the floor. _Do they have a room full of these? _At this rate, they weren't going to get any sleep until Jirou has had his fill of alcohol, but might as well delight himself with his kindness of free wine.

After several bottles…

"Hey, you're a monk aren't you? Aren't there rules against drinking in the temple?" Jirou asked bluntly, his words slurred.

To their surprise, it was this man who had emptied most of the bottles and not them. Just a while ago, Hakkai had to restrain Jirou from drinking two bottles at the same time! And it seems that the innkeeper's goal is to get Hakkai drank, but only disappointed himself when he did not succeed and so moved on to the priest. Slurring his words, he repeated his question while waving his glass carelessly.

"What?" growled Sanzo. Unlike Hakkai, he did not allow the innkeeper to continuously refill his glass each time it was almost empty. At one point, he almost made a threat to use his gun but Hakkai came to the rescue and offered his glass to be refilled instead.

"You heard me!" Jirou said angrily. He paused for a moment as he narrowed his eyes at the monk. "You're a priest! And yet here you are, drinking wine!"

Firmly lowering his glass, he glared at Jirou. "So what if I am?" he demanded in an agitated tone.

--------------

"Gojyo?"

He stared at the ceiling with his golden-hued eyes as he listened to the sounds of the howling wind outside, slightly muffled by the frosted windows and thick walls. The softness and warmth of the bed wasn't helping, or the delicious homemade food they were given earlier.

When the half-demon didn't reply, he sat up, and turned his head to the figure on the bed next to his.

"Gojyo? Are you awake?" Slipping from underneath the covers, he cautiously approached the water kappa. Hovering above him, he started to poke his head. "Gojyo?"

This man had been deliberately ignoring the boy's voice, tried to tune him out and go to sleep. His body was sore, and his stomach full, so he needed to get some sleep and he had been hoping that he would sleep until noon or something. But no, this kid just had to interrupt his attempt to go and sink into the dream world. And start jabbing his head with his dirty little finger!

"Go away!" he snapped, sharply swinging his arm back to get Goku to go away, but was disappointed when he only felt the cold air, meaning that he had missed. Whatever, as long as it meant that the little bastard was going to leave him alone, he wasn't going to get out of this comfy bed. Annoyed, he buried his head on the pillow, pulling the blanket closer to him.

Due to reflexes, Goku was able to dodge the arm but that didn't stop him from trying to get him to talk. He can't sleep and he was going to make sure that his water kappa was going to suffer with him. A pout on his face, he jumped up and landed on Gojyo, straddling him and began to pull his hair.

"I can't sleep! Gojyo! Gojyo!" he cried then started to pull his hair and cheeks.

"Oof!" A very pained expression crossed Gojyo's face when the monkey pounced at him. _"Shoot! This boy is heavy!"_

Oh great and he has the nerve to touch his hair AND face! Snarling, he twisted his body and jabbed Goku in the stomach with his elbow, making him topple off the bed.

"What in the blazes do you want!" he growled. Gojyo sat up, shaking a clenched fist at him. Although it was unusual for Goku to be awake at this hour, especially since he had just pigged himself out not too long ago.

He had allowed himself to fall onto the ground, but he was a bit surprised at his roommate's attack. Goku smiled sheepishly at his roommate. At least he wasn't the only one awake anymore.

Before answering him, Goku plopped himself back on to his bed. "Ne, Gojyo, when do you think this storm will stop?" Goku asked as he took a pillow and hugged it.

"From the looks of it, I don't think it will last long…" Gojyo muttered and started to rummage for a cigarette. After finding the small white box, he lolled his head towards the boy. "Why? You still afraid of the snow?"

Goku pouted, a hint of red formed on his cheeks as that old memory came back to him. From the way Gojyo had said it, he sounded like he was mocking him. "No! It's just that at this rate we won't be able to get to the shrine!" he quickly replied and hugged the pillow tighter.

"Oh? This is a first, your mind set on this annoying task," teased Gojyo.

"And what's wrong with that?" Goku asked hotly, a vein slightly bulging out.

"Just saying…" murmured Gojyo and looked off to the side.

He took the cig into his fingers and exhaled the white smoke only to receive a disgusted look from the boy. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Goku. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you ever get tired of smoking?" Goku pointed at the cancer stick he was holding. He just doesn't get it. Gojyo and Sanzo smoke every single day and yet they never seem to get tired of filling their lungs with the chemicals in those white sticks. He tried it once, and he has to say, it tastes awful. After that, he had to eat and drink twice the amount (which is quite a lot) until the tobacco taste finally faded away.

This just amused Gojyo, but he didn't show it. "Shouldn't you be used to it already? Having been with Sanzo and all…" his voice trailed off as he put the cigarette out by grounding it on the ashtray.

Shaking his head vigorously, he replied, "Never!"

_He's really still a kid… _Gojyo thought quietly to himself as he lowered himself onto the mattress. With one knee bent, he rested his head on his arms. Thanks to the monkey boy, he couldn't sleep anymore. Speaking of which, he was curious on why the boy was still awake. "Hey, are you sure you can't get some sleep?" He inclined his head and saw that Goku was still staring at him.

Goku nodded. "I'm not sure why, but I just can't…" He turned to face the window, his arms wrapped loosely around the pillow. "Ah…the snow…" he said finally, and pointed at the window

"Huh?" Gojyo raised his head a bit and followed the direction his finger was pointing at. His mouth formed into a 'o' when he saw that the storm had stopped. Snowflakes were now fluttering to the ground. The howling wind had died out and the sky was beginning to clear up. "Looks like we'll be on our merry way first thing in the morning."

A few seconds passed before it dawned on Goku that they still have another task to do. "What about that stranger? What are we going to do with her?" inquired Goku. He glanced over his shoulder. "Are we just going to leave her here?"

Gojyo just stared at him, his mind churning on this question. It's not like they have to bring her with them or anything. Besides, she has her own life. "Yeah we can do that. Let someone else take care of her…" he finally said. "Alright, I'm going to sleep…night squirt…" Gojyo mumbled as he turned over to his side and pulled the blanket over him.

This time the teenager didn't say anything and just watched as Gojyo tried to go back to sleep. Still not that sleepy, he went back to staring at the gentle rain of snow outside. It wasn't that chilly anymore and stars were starting to peek out from behind the clouds that were parting from the sky. This serene view was starting to make him feel relaxed, and a bit drowsy.

Left with not much to do, he allowed himself to fall back on to the bed. As he stared at the wooden ceiling, he wonders if it was really the right thing to do to just leave her. It would be nice to hear her thank them for saving her. Then again, he and the others wanted to get off this mountain and head back to the temple. Shrugging to himself, he decided to wait until morning for the final decision. He rolled over and let himself slowly drift away into a peaceful slumber.

--------------

"She's gone…"

Both men stood in the doorway, shocked at the sight before them. After having several drinks with the old man, they decided to turn in for the night, despite the Jirous's pleas for them to stay up longer. Luckily for them, his wife came to the rescue, granting the freedom to go to their room. It was amusing though, when he begged his wife to let him be but she wouldn't let him have his way and so dragged him away.

Except, the lady they had picked from outside, wasn't here anymore. There was no sigh of a struggle, the windows were still closed, and it doesn't seem like anybody from outside had come in. So where did she go?

Hakkai slowly walked to the bed where she had been sleeping on. It had been fixed, so it looked as though nobody had used it. Not entirely sure on what was going on, he glanced back at the monk. "Sanzo…do you think…?"

The priest just remained there in the doorway. He had also been surprised to see that she had just vanished, but didn't dare to show it. His eyes shifted over to Hakkai when he spoke, knowing right away what was on his mind. Sanzo wasn't concerned at all that she had left without a word. Heck, he was glad that she did for that means both of them will be able to sleep on a bed, plus no unwanted expenses.

"Most likely she decided to leave. Anyway, it's a good thing she did as I wasn't planning on letting her stay for long from the very beginning." Sanzo replied haughtily, stepping into the room. He sat down on the chair that was still positioned beside the window.

The corners of Hakkai's lips were lifted at this reply, and silently chuckled at the last sentence. _Classic Sanzo_, was all he has to say about the monk. His shoulder then relaxed, but the weary expression remained on his face. "Even so, I am worried about the fact that she could be out in the cold…"

"Not our fault." Sanzo quickly added.

Hakkai lifted his head just in time to see Sanzo light up a cig. True, they had done their part, so there was nothing else to be done. Leaving it at that, he smiled genially at Sanzo. "It's been a long day, so I'm turning in. Good night, Sanzo."

A grunt was Sanzo's reply as he slipped into bed. It didn't take long until he had already fallen asleep. Before letting the drowsiness take over he quietly thought, _I do hope the storm will have ceased by tomorrow…_For they still had to continue their little quest in retrieving an artifact from the shrine that lies somewhere here in the mountain.

As though his wish has been heard, the blizzard gradually weakened. Sanzo had been doing some thinking noticed this. _Now this is odd…_ Just a few hours ago they were told that this gale won't stop until after a few days. This made him suspicious, but then again, nature itself is a mystery. Tossing these thoughts aside, he put the cigarette out and stood up. Sanzo took one last look at the scenery outside, just in time to spot some movement among the trees.

Reflexes kicking in, he automatically reached for his gun but then paused.

_A squirrel?_

Just when he thought that it was an enemy, the small, furry creature emerged from within the leaves. Shaking his head lightly, he scowled at himself for overreacting like that.

From behind the clouds, the soft glow of the moon came out. As the moonlight shone on the area, he looked up as the clouds began to drift away. How ominous, for it was a full moon. He doesn't really bother checking the calendar, so it must be a coincidence. Realization set in that he was thinking too much for one night. Eyebrows furrowed, he finally turned to the vacant bed.

Maybe it's exhaustion that was getting to him.

------------

"So they're the ones who picked her up…" A cloaked demon hissed, as he watched the monk retire for the night. It was him who had made the unnecessary movement earlier but the lucky stars decided to help him and a squirrel took his place. _Perfect timing _was all he could say at the moment. The demon froze as he heard the other demon approached him with their 'prize' in his hands.

"Although I'm surprised that they didn't notice anything yet…" he said softly. A breeze came, and made his hood fall off to reveal his face. His tousled dark hair stopping just below his shoulders, and his crystal-blue eyes focused on the Inn the group was staying at. A ring on his middle finger gleamed in the moonlight, it was his demonic power limiter. So at the moment, he looked like an ordinary human while his companion is too stubborn to wear his.

He then tore his eyes away from the building and turned to his assistant. "Any second longer and you would have been caught." His voice was steady but the hint of annoyance was easily detected. Lowering his gaze onto the girl in his arms, he tried to imagine what would have happened if those men had barged in at the wrong time.

The demon looked up sharply. "It's not my fault that I have a fascination for weapons!" spat out the demon. Agitated, he licked his dry lips as he restlessly flexed his clawed fingers. While those men were out, he had snuck in to get the girl. Unfortunately, as he was about to go out through the window, the banishing gun caught his eyes and was about to examine it until he heard footsteps. Their plans would have come to a downfall if it weren't for his _boss _who just appeared out of nowhere and literally hauled them out of the place.

Right now they were surveying the small town from a nearby cliff. Eager to get moving, the demon shifted uneasily. "Anyway…what are we to do now? Master Rien?"

Before replying to his question, the blonde man shifted her a bit so that he could get a good look at her face. Moments passed as he observed her before he raised head. "It seems like she's not going to wake up until next week or the doctor awakens her." Rien said coolly, and paused for a while.

"Next week?" the demon repeated in disbelief. "Are you sure? Isn't she…?" his voice trailed off, a clawed digit pointed at her.

He glanced sideways at the demon. It didn't take long before it occurred to him what he was thinking. Lips tugged into a smirk, he said, " No, she's only a prototype."

"Prototype?" No wonder her scent was rather…strange… He had thought she was a real living human being. With that raven black hair and everything, one would never think of her being a 'puppet' from a mere glance.

Rien nodded wordlessly before looking at the Inn once again. "It is surprising that they haven't realized what she was…" he mused. Three of them were demons, so they should have sensed that she wasn't a human. This 'thing' in his arms is just a doll.

Ignoring his comment, the demon went straight to business. "So we're going back to the lab?"

"Yes, let's go now." Rien agreed then turned away from the village. Like the lap dog he really is, the demon sauntered after him, casting nasty glares at their surroundings for no particular reason. Now that their mission for was finished, all that was left to do is wait for the next one. As they walked down the snowy path, he couldn't help but notice what a lovely night it was at the moment. _Too bad most demons fail to realize the true beauty of nature… _

"Oh and I think we need to change the color of her hair."

"I agree."

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	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: **Thank you very much to those who reviewed! I'm very happy to see that there are those who are entertained by this story of mine. I was able to draft this chapter the other day, then continued and finished it today since classes at my school was canceled due to the weather. Please do not hesitate to point out anything that concerns you. Here is the next chapter and I hope that you'll enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki...**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Humming away, the dark-haired scientist idly watched as the various formulas and equations scrolled down the illuminated screen of the monitor in front of him as he sat there in the dark with all the inventions around him, all alone in the laboratory (unless you counted the stuffed rabbit). Face and torso basking in the soft glow emitting from the computer, he just leaned back on the computer chair, rested both legs on the desk, one crossed over the other and waited for the final results. This week had graced him with rather promising information and it could mean the early entrance of the newest addition to their dear 'family'.

The mere thought of it heightened his excitement.

All around him were different kinds of machines and equipment; each of them with their own functions and purpose. Most of them waiting to be tested and used for certain phase of the schemes made by their inventor.

Behind him, the doors slid open to reveal Rien carrying who has returned with the test subject in his arms and his assistant muttering under his breath. Dr. Nii did not bother to turn around and face them but kept his dark eyes focused on the groups of numbers and symbols being shown to him.

"Welcome back," he greeted them, using one hand to type away. A cigarette rested on his bottom lip, in danger of burning out and the pink stuffed animal lying limp on his lap.

Zhou, who had been softly ranting on about how this mission had lacked action was jerked away from his inner rambling when the doctor had spoken. His face contorted in disgust for even just a glance of this twisted being sickened him. "Cheh…you good for nothing lowlife…" he mumbled as he lowered his gaze to the concrete floor.

Rien ignored his sidekick's soft and yet audible whining and took a step forward. "We've retrieved Ming from the mountain." He said simply, and raised the body a bit even though the scientist's back was turned to him. The place was almost eerie with the computer being used by Nii as the only source of light.

At this, Nii glanced over his shoulder and allowed one arm to drape over the back of the chair. The all too familiar gleam had emerged in his eyes, seen very clearly beneath those spectacles. With his other hand, he held up the stuffed bunny. "Hear that? Our little girl is home," he chuckled softly as he made the bunny do a little happy dance, only to receive unimpressed expressions from the two demons. It saddened him a notch but he let it pass and rose from his seat.

He lazily pointed at the incubation chamber resting at the side. "You know the procedure."

Without another word, he sauntered over to the control panel located beside the huge capsule and started up the machine. The ebony-haired demon was very familiar with this particular machine as he had been involved in this project from the very day it started. Rien wordlessly carried her over to the now pulsating machine and gently set her down on the floor of the chamber in a sitting position. It was big enough for two adults but he had no intention of joining her.

From afar, Zhou watched as the two follow the steps in fixing up Ming's _room_. With a low snort, he turned and left for it was evident that he was no longer needed. None of the two took notice and busied themselves with the girl. In a few minutes, Rien had changed the sleeping girl out of the white shirt and had her wear the two-piece outfit. He then attached the oxygen mask to her face and quietly exited the narrow glass tube. The glass door slid down as he backed away and the machine sprang to life.

The blue hued liquid filled up all the space in a matter of seconds like the ocean waves crashing against a sandy shore, but only gentler, having her once again suspended in its watery grasp. Rubber hoses connected to the bottom of the chamber leads this mysterious substance to the chamber and somehow supports her health. Who knew what this was made up and the true purpose is. But he had the distinct feeling that it does more than keep her stable.

"Well done, you may go now," Nii said and took his place beside the demon who appeared to be mesmerized by this somewhat outlandish display. "Oh, before I forget, make sure to inform your other partner that she is to observe Ming for the rest of the week." He added, as his eyes also settled on the seemingly lifeless form floating in the water.

She would have been mistaken for a dead person had she not began to slowly maneuver herself in to the fetus-position. As she did this, he glanced sideways at Rien and was satisfied to see the wave of surprise flicker over his face. It was for a fraction of a second, but enough to fill him with glee. Rien nodded once and took his leave without looking back. Once the doors had closed behind him, he sighed heavily.

He ran a hand through his hair and murmured, "Darn you…you're only making this harder for me…"

"Am I?" a voice asked from within the dark corridor at his left.

He looked up sharply and froze but then relaxed as he heard footsteps that were oddly familiar to his ears. A woman emerged from the shadows, wearing a white lab coat over her black turtleneck top and slacks. Her emerald eyes twinkled behind a pair of thin-rimmed glasses while her short dark hair framed her face as she smiled playfully at him.

She placed a hand on her hip and pointed a carefully manicured hand at him. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked irately. Yet, her eyes were smiling and the corners of her mouth were slightly twitching as she tried her hardest not to smile.

"Sorry but there were some unexpected distraction during the field test." Rien replied and shrugged. "Is everything going according to plan?" he asked, removing his cloak and revealed the outfit he had been wearing underneath it.

His outfit consisted of a fitted black shirt with a navy blue vest equipped with numerous pockets over it, simple jeans hugging his long legs, gloves that did not full cover his fingers and black shoes. Draping the now soaked cloak over his arm, he patiently waited for his colleague to reply.

She made _tsk_ing sounds while waving her finger to the rhythm and shook her head lightly. "You really should never underestimate me, Dr. Leila and you know full well what I am capable of." With a wink, she chuckled softly and tilted her head a bit to the side. "So, how's Ming?"

"Unfortunately, she somehow allowed herself to fall asleep during the test and I doubt that it was due to exhaustion." Images of the said girl enduring the harsh wilderness and the fierce winds appeared in his mind. Rien glanced sideways and saw that the female scientist was deep in thought, pondering on what he had just told her.

Gently cupping her chin, Leila thought aloud, "I guess she still needs some tweaking…"

Odd, she was sure that at the last check-up, the girl was fine and there was nothing wrong with her vital status. Then the answer popped into her head and she clapped her hands together. "It's most likely because that was the first time we let her go somewhere beyond the castle's testing ground."

Rien nodded solemnly in agreement.

For the past few months, Ming would only go as far as the courtyard where they tested her fighting skills and right after, she would return to her incubation chamber. It was then he recalled the times when she would suddenly go berserk, but miraculously they were able to calm her down before it was too late. As he went over the past events that had taken place before, Leila was talking about making some changes to Ming, thinking that Rien was listening to her. After a while, she paused and became aware of the demon who was lost in his thoughts.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" She waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze. Leila let out a sigh. "You have to keep your head out of the clouds if you want to protect-"

"I know." He interrupted her, turning on his heels and began to walk away.

"Hey! You might as well let Seiki know that you're back!" Leila called out after him but received no response from the gloomy man. Frowning, she murmured, "What's up with him…"

Leila then decided to ignore it then started to think of a way to 'fix' the girl and entered the dark room where Nii and Ming were.

------------

He was slipping, in between of passing out and staying awake as he let his head hung low. His wrists bounded by the chains that were nailed on the wall, so his arms rested above him while he sits on the floor, and try to feel how one would feel after being severely punished. Long sandy-colored hair flowed from his head, down his back and over his shoulders. His sapphire blue eyes sparkling as he looked up at the dying light bulb above him and let his mind begin to wander.

_Let's see…how long have I been here? _He thought aimlessly to himself and shifted a bit as something was poking into his legs. _Must be another rock…_

Setting that aside, he went back to pondering his thoughts, and certain reminiscences. The atmosphere here was almost soothing to him; he enjoys the stillness of the place and the distant sounds of water dripping somewhere in the vicinity was infuriating as it was pleasing

Now he wonders why people hated being locked away when they are given the chance to recollect their thoughts and access to some peace and quiet for once in their life. The answer to this little question of his came in no time at all: They were guilty as charged. While he came here of his own free will take advantage of the lack of demons and other living beings and relish in all of this by himself.

And he would have continued to savor his 'alone time' had he not have allowed the incoming footsteps to penetrate his thoughts. Reluctantly, he tore his eyes away from the waning light. His disappointment was stomped down it occurred to him that there was only one person who would be daring enough to come to this place with him dwelling in it.

Lips curved in a small smile, he laughed softly as a familiar face appeared behind the bars of the small prison he was in. "Nice to see you again, Rien." He said, smiling genially at the demon then noticed his current form. "Hm? You're wearing your limiter again? Really, you never fail to amaze me…"

Rien had been right to follow his instincts that told him that he would find this man here. He let out a soft groan and brought a hand to his forehead. "And you just never seem to stop playing around Seiki…"

There on the dirty and cracked floor sat his partner, his first one before Leila and boy did he look like an idiot at the moment. Torso bare, he was wearing only a pair of olive green pants and no shoes as well. But folded neatly on the side is his spotless tunic that matched his bottoms and the boots beside it. Amazing that he had not caught a cold from staying here in this chilly dungeon and enjoy coming down here from time to time.

An inquiring look replaced the smile on Seiki's face and cocked his head a bit to the side. "Why? It's not like I'm doing anything wrong." He said innocently, almost pouting and started to unclasp the chains. The chains clinked as he allowed them fall to the grimy floor and got up on his two feet. Rubbing his wrist for the metal cuffs had made them a bit sore; he averted his gaze to Rien's.

"So, what brings you here?" he asked smoothly as he started to put on his shirt.

While waiting for Seiki to finish dressing up, he settled his back on the brick wall behind him, his gaze lowered to the ground. "The trial at the mountain has ended earlier than expected so we brought Ming back and Leila is to keep an eye on her."

Seiki nodded slowly, corners of his mouth pulled back in a smile and he started slipping on his shoes. "And what did you tell Zhou? Surely he's the only one who doesn't know the truth…"

"Of course he doesn't because he's a dolt," Rien said haughtily and folded his arms across his chest. "He actually believed everything that I told him." He added and an amused smile formed on his lips.

Finally done, Seiki stretched; letting out a satisfied sigh as he felt some parts let out a soft _crack _and exited the cramped prison cell. Tying his hair back into a braid he said, "Well then, we ought to go and give Leila a hand."

"Yeah, whatever…" Rien mumbled as he shrugged at his all-too-cheerful partner and both of them went into the elevator. Seiki then started going on about the wonderful plants he had purchased the other day for his younger sister and their grandmother.

"Mirei was just so adorable the other day! And Grandma couldn't stop trying to stuff me with her famous homemade dishes and-"

Usually, Rien would ask the enthusiastic man to save his chitchat for later but right now, he was not in the mood to argue with him and so pretended to be mildly interested with his storytelling. Giving him some nods here and there, agreeing with his opinions and somehow being able to get away with the fact that he was not entirely listening to Seiki.

"Oh! I simply must tell you about the time when we all went camping together!"

------------

Chewing on her bottom lip, the orange-haired demoness tried very hard to ignore the pacing male in the room. Eyes closed tightly, she tried to tune out the sounds of his shuffling feet as he walked back and forth until finally she just could not handle it much longer.

"Doku! Will ya relax? I'm sure my big brother is going to be fine!" she said irritably, whipping her head around to catch his eyes with hers. When she realized that she had practically snapped at her dear friend she quickly clapped a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry! I just-"

The sporadically haired demon paused and looked over at her. A few seconds passed before his shoulders dropped and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Lirin, but it's been hours since Kou was summoned by that witch…" he said softly and seated himself on the chair beside Lirin.

Earlier, one of Kousho's minions came with a message stating that she wishes to have an audience with the Demon Prince. Ever since, he has not returned and Dokugakuji was worried sick even though he has no reason to be. The two were in their private dining room, where the four of them would have meals together like a real family. On top of the table were the dishes that Yaone, their pharmacist and another one who is very close to them as well, had prepared earlier but Doku left his share untouched

A bit of guilt began to set in Lirin's guts as she watches him continue to sulk and so she held out a plate of meat buns to him. "Here, eat; you look like you've been starving for days." But he looked away and it annoyed her.

Pouting, she set the plate down and tackled him. This move caused both of them to fall to the ground. "Whoa!" His eyes widened as with the grace of a three-legged cow, they toppled off the chair. Landing hard, he winced as his back was no aching and he could not get up for there was a certain girl lying on top of him. Doku was just about to say indicating the pain he was going through when he saw that Lirin silent and her hands grasping the front of shirt.

"He'll be fine! I'm sure he will!" she cried out, then lifted her face off his chest. A grin spread over her lips as she laughed sheepishly at him. "Come on! Yaone is going to scold you once she finds out that you didn't eat a single bite of her cooking!"

Without waiting for him to reply, she jumped off the baffled demon and started to pile his plate with food. Doku slowly pushed his upper body off the ground and quietly observed as the now hyped up girl tried to make up her mind on what to have him eat. His sad complexion had now faded away, to be replaced by a softer one. A small smile crept its way to his lips and heaved himself off the floor.

For a moment there, he had let his worries engulf him in its sticky grasp but with his loved ones around him, there was no way he would let himself succumb to something like that.

"This one you should definitely sample Doku!"

Her voice laced with enthusiasm jerked him away from his thought, reminding him of where he was at the moment. Doku shook his head lightly and mentally scolded himself. Now that was over, he stepped up to the flaming orange-haired girl who kept on moving around the table, dumping large portions of food on to his plate.

"Slow down there, I don't think I'll be able to eat all that." Doku pointed at the plate that was literally overflowing with food and some weird-looking substance that she had poured over it. "And what the hell is that!" he exclaimed as the 'sauce' was of a rather disgusting shade of purple and dripped off the edges of the plate.

It looked vile…

Unfortunately for him, to the bouncy kid it was the most delicious thing she has ever made with her own two clawed hands.

"Lirin's Ultimate Special Secret Sauce!" she said cheerfully and took a spoon. "Try it! You'll love it. Now say 'Aah'." Sticking the metal ware into the squishy concoction, she scooped some up and brought it near to his face.

Only one word in the name Lirin came up with can he use to describe the horrid liquid right now.

It was ultimately disgusting.

------------

Cautiously walking down the semi-lit hallways is the apothecary named Yaone. While going down the cold corridors, she kept on fist resting on her chest and the other would softly brush against the metal wall. The long absence of Lord Kougaiji had finally pierced her cool demeanor and caused her to start worrying about the Prince. With Doku still at the room with Lirin, she assumed that the young lady would be safe in his care. And there was enough food for the both of them. So, she gathered her courage and went off to search for their leader.

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, its thumping amplified in her ears as she continued down the empty hallway. She was sure that Kougaiji was brought down this way for she exited the room just in time to see them before they were shrouded in the darkness.

_Really, have they not considered of installing more lights in here?_

There were some on the ceiling, but not enough to fill the _all_ thewinding corridors with light for them to be able to see if there was anybody up ahead. Several times has she bumped into someone because of that, but mostly due to her sometimes being too engrossed with thoughts to notice others in her way.

Her skin was tingling, her intuition kept on prodding her that someone was following but every time she glances back, she was only met by the blackness of the passageway behind her. Yaone shuddered at the thought of something creepy suddenly appearing out of nowhere but she made sure as to not lose her composure.

The farther she goes down the hallways, the lower the temperature went and it felt as thought she had just stepped into a weird dimension. Out of nowhere, she sensed an ominous aura, not that of a demon, almost and but, it felt so different. Yaone suddenly started to feel lightheaded and let her body lean on the freezing wall. It almost felt as though she was touching ice, but she ignored it and forced herself to continue on.

_I have to make sure that Lord Kougaiji is alright… _Yaone thought to herself, determination etched on her face.

After what seemed to be hours, she finally came across a set of bolted doors and they were unlocked. As she stood there in front of them, it became evident that it was from the room behind these doors where the aura was seeping out from. Yaone stretched one hand to the handle and was about to open it when another feminine hand perched itself on her bare shoulder.

"Well, well, seems like we have a visitor."

Yaone froze, her blood suddenly turned cold and she could not even turn her head to see who it was. Even so, she knew perfectly who the woman behind her is. She let out an 'eep' sound as an arm was wrapped around her shoulders and she was pulled to the side of the female scientist. For a moment, she shut her eyes, bracing herself for whatever the consequence for trespassing here maybe, but nothing came. Only silence greeted her and so slowly unveiled her eyes to find herself staring at a pair of twinkling green eyes.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting Kou's very own apothecary to come down here all by herself." Leila said, amused and looked at the demoness from head to toe. The woman silently snickered at the thought of what might have happened if this pretty one was caught by someone else. She quickly eased down her twisted ego and focused her eyes on the pale face of the female demon in her hold. "I suppose you're looking for your darling Prince?"

A tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks and she looked away, mumbling an apology. This only entertained Leila even more and she gave Yaone a pat on the back. "Don't worry for you've come to the right place!" She held out a hand, her palm facing up, to the steel doors. "He's been here for quite a while you know…I bet he found it too overwhelming for him…"

Leila reached into her pocket and pulled out a key card. Waggling it between her fingers, she winked at Yaone. "Of course, we can't just let _anybody _enter the premises."

Only now did Yaone become aware of the small electric box with the card slot latched on the wall right beside the heavy doors. And for a split second there, she felt stupid but then convinced herself that it was not entirely her fault for not noticing it right away. With this weird presence looming in the atmosphere, it almost clouded her senses.

How can these people work in here?

After inserting the thin plastic card into the slot, the front side of the box fell open to uncover the keypad it was hiding and the lid was attached by hinges. Mildly impressed with their security, she watched as Leila started to type what looked like a very long password and stiffened when the female craned her neck towards her.

Fingers tapping away on the blinking keys, she smiled at the demoness. "Anyway, you're a sharp one as you were able to sense me even though I was able to blend perfectly in the shadows and-"

At the mention of that, Yaone politely held out a hand. "Wait, it was you who was following?" she asked, trying to process this into her brain. Dr. Nii was sneaky, but she did not expect to be others to be just as stealthy as him or even worse. Possibly even more twisted although she has not known the said man for a long time. Still, she and the others were quite wary of him.

Somehow, this had Leila flattered. "Oh! You didn't know that I can be as silent as mouse? Well it's quite easy because the trick is-Oops! Doors are opening and we ought to get moving!"

The huge doors slid open soundlessly, startling the demoness as she was expecting them to be produce creaking sounds like most large doors do and she gasped as white mist escaped the confines of this mysterious room. Leila's mouth curved into a smirk as she once again draped her arm around the woman's shoulder and started to lead her into the slightly fogged room.

Bringing a hand to cup around the side of her mouth, Leila called out in a sing-song voice, "Paging Prince Kougaiji! You're one and only apothecary is here!"

What mortified Yaone was not the numerous sinister-looking machines and equipment in the laboratory, but something at the other side that had immediately caught her eye. As she lowered her gaze, observing it, it dawned onto her that the form standing in front of that 'thing' is none other than Lord Kougaiji!

"Lord Kougaiji!" she exclaimed and released herself from Leila who just stood there with a sly smile formed on her lips. Relief flooded her body as she rushed over to the red-haired demon's side and even let a small smile to appear on her face. "I'm so glad that you're safe!"

"Yaone? What are you doing here?" Kougaiji inquired, his face still holding on to its stern complexion. His earrings chimed as he whipped his head around to meet her concerned gaze. "And the others?"

"Both of them are in the room upstairs, but-"

"Alright, that's enough talking for the show is about to begin!" Leila's heels clicked on the hard floor as she stepped up to them, interrupting their cute moment together. Adjusting her glasses, she asked, her gaze focused on Yaone, "Now, could you tell me what you think of our dear 'friend' here?"

An eyebrow was arched in confusion for she had not completely understood what she had just said. "Friend?"

Instead of answering, Leila pointed at something behind her and so she whirled around. It was as though the beating of her heart had come to a stop when it dawned on her what was taking place in this laboratory. Right before her is one of the incubation chambers, she has seen them before but this is the first time she has witnessed one being used.

Gushing and bubbling liquid was sealed inside, but that was not what had caused her to take a step back in horror. It was the body of a woman floating in it. Eyes filled with shock and fear, she covered her mouth with both hands, and her knees suddenly became weak so it was that she did not crumple down to the floor.

"Lord Kougaiji…what is this?" she said, breathless at the sight before her eyes.

The Prince did not answer her question right away and his hands balled into fists as he tried to restrain himself from breaking the blasted tube right then and there. When he was introduced to this so-called woman, he was just as astounded as she was and was very outraged that it was not only the revival of his father they were doing. Nobody had informed him of this, and just when does he find it out is the day when their little project has been completed.

Secrets, they were everywhere and they were all being hidden away from him, waiting for the day to surprise in the most unpleasant way possible.

He opened his mouth to try and explain but he was cut off by the soft snickering of the notorious Dr. Nii who appeared from somewhere at the side, hugging that repulsive bunny to his chest while his other hands dwells in the depths of his pocket. Scowling, he glared at him, but his deadly gaze did not affect the male scientist at all.

Nii's eyes rested on the Yaone who was still a bit stricken with horror and perplexity but enlivened him as now more than one shall be in for the wonderful surprise they had prepared tonight. "Why hello there, I wasn't expecting you to drop by."

Out of desire to stay away from this evil man, she moved closer to Lord Kougaiji who kept the brunt of his focus on the two scientists. Both of them wearing the same cynical smiles on their faces as they chuckled softly together and Leila walked around them to situate herself at the control panel.

"Time to wake up my dear." She cooed as she walked up to the chamber and knocked gently at the clear surface.

Over all the sounds of the gurgling liquid, the soft rapping reached the sensitive ears of the woman inside. Her nose twitched under the oxygen mask, and her eyes fluttered open. At first, she could not make out any defined shapes, only seeing swirls of blue and deformed images through the sea of cool colors. At a slow pace, she broke free from the curled-up position and started to look around, trying to find something amidst the seemingly invisible force keeping her afloat.

Excitement and delight filled Nii's whole body as he witnesses the awakening of Ming, their new toy to play with. Just on time, the doors were opened, announcing the presence of the one who had requested for this project.

"She's awake!" Lady Kousho said gleefully and brushed past the two stunned demons. A sort of crazed happiness flickered over her face as she placed a pale palm over the warm surface, capturing Ming's interest.

After a few moments of moving about inside the tube, her vision finally became clear and she was able to make out the people staring at her. What caught her attention most is a rather ravishing woman who was peering closely at her through the glass. Almost fascinated by the lady, she propelled herself down so that they were at the same level and saw the hand pressed against the wall that stood between them. Perplexed by this, she copied Lady Kousho and placed her hand directly on the spot where the manicured hand was resting.

"Let us all welcome Ming!" Leila chirped and pulled a lever.

A _thunk _was heard and Kou jerked his head up. His crimson eyes settled themselves on the bottom of the huge capsule and immediately noticed the movement happening there. "Stand back!" he shouted and grabbed Yaone.

"A-Ah!" His sudden action took her by surprise but then came to realization that he knew what happening and did not want her to be in the way. "Lord Kougaiji…"

Lady Kousho, her arms were outstretched as the glass opened with a _whoosh _spilling its contents. The strange liquid flooded the floor, but the turquoise-haired demoness and the two scientists were too intent on Ming to notice. Once the water had flowed out, Ming felt the law of gravity take place and fell forward, into the arms of the being, the first one to come into contact with her. Loosely embracing Ming, Kousho went down on her knees, ignoring the fact that her clothes were soaked.

What was important is that her toy was here…

All Yaone could do was watch this unbelievable event while Kou's frown deepened at the sight of his stepmother take this creation of theirs into her arms like a real mother welcoming her baby, but this one she has in her embrace is not of her flesh and blood. The puddle the two were in, resembled a small ocean but it was no holy deity perched on it.

It felt odd, her legs felt heavy and the lack of water made her experience the numbness in her body. Strands of her soaked hair clung to her face and parts of her upper body. She just kept still as a pale hand removed the mask from her face, allowing her to breathe in the natural gas around her.

Taking in short breaths, the same hand graced her chin and gently lifted her face to meet a pair of eyes filled with positive turmoil. "Your name is Ming." Kousho said, and her smile widened.

"M-Ming?" she choked out.

"Sorry to ruin this touchy moment but would be so kind enough as to let us know what you think of her?" Leila appeared at their sides, her hands clasped behind her back and smiling cordially at them.

"Hmmm…" She started to stroke Ming's hair, carefully deciding on what words to use to describe this young one in her arms. "I think I better try and play with her for a bit to know…" she mused, but the evil smirk remained on her red-painted lips, slightly parted, showing a white fang of hers.

Leila nodded. "Of course!" Then transferred her gaze at the Demon Prince and gave him a rather mysterious smile. "Alright then, you two may go now. You can tell your other friends about this as well. Heck, let the whole world know if you want to but just remember to mention my name!" She gave him a thumbs-up and whirled around to start contacting her other colleagues to let them in on the latest news.

It ticked him off to see her act like that to him, but he brushed it away and turned to Yaone. "Let's go, I'm sure they're wondering where we are right now." Kou said curtly and made his way to the open doors with the pharmacist trailing behind him.

Yaone started to think on what will happen now that this 'woman' is here and what were they going to do with her? Wait, how did they even create her? Her breath got caught in her throat when it dawned on her. The possibility that they had experimented on her, so did they kidnap her?

Frustrated, he walked until he was at a reasonable distance from the cursed laboratory and punched the wall, causing a cracked dent to form. His sudden outburst forced Yaone out of her thoughts and her eyes widened at the realization of what he was going through.

"Yaone…"

"Yes my Lord?"

"I want you to do something…"

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"Sanzo! Hakkai! Kappa-"A clenched fist hit its mark on the teenager's head. The golden-eyed boy cringed and grabbed his poor aching head. He whipped his head around to find the water sprite behind him with an annoyed expression all over his tanned face.

"Next time say my real name you monkey boy!" Gojyo snapped while Hakkai chuckled somewhere away from with Sanzo at his side.

Winter had arrived at Chang'an; a blanket of snow covered the ground, trees decorated with clumps of the white and soft ice, the sky a dreary gray and the temperature dropping lower by the minute. The four were on their way to spend the rest of the evening tucking in a dinner of nice hot pot.

Hakkai sighed wearily but somehow managed to keep his signature smile in place. "At this rate, we might not be able to make it in time before the store closes."

Sanzo scoffed and just reached into his robes for a cig but then remembered that he had already smoked the last one back at the temple. "Darn it, those bastards better hurry up or else I'm going without them…" he grumbled, a frown creasing his face.

This only made the brunette chuckle softly as he returned to the arguing pair. "Hey! If you want dinner then you might as well pick up the pace!" he called out good-naturedly.

"Dinner?" Goku stopped in the middle of preparing himself to throw a snowball at Gojyo. The two were just about to have a little war of their own when they were reminded of their purpose of being out in the cold. Tossing the snowball aside he cried out happily, "Let's go! It's Sukiyaki night!"

"What? Tch and I was all veered up to beat you…" Gojyo murmured, but threw one at the kid anyway. Inserting his hands into the pockets of his coat, he sauntered back to the two men. "Don't forget about the warm sake."

Angrily brushing the bits of snow from his hair, he chased after Gojyo. "Come back here!" he yelled but then was caught in one arm of the half-breed. Flailing, he started clawing (although he had no claws) at the arm wrapped around hi neck.

"Let go!" he demanded.

_THWACK!_

"Urusai!" Sanzo shouted and turned to continue walking towards the restaurant. Sometimes he wonders how on earth he ended up with these goons.

Clapping his hands gently, he said, raising his voice, "Come on you two, best to get there before it gets dark. We wouldn't want to keep the hot pot waiting."

At the mention of the dish, Goku eyes twinkled with excitement, almost salivating at the thought of the scrumptious ingredients being tossed into the soup and eating all the meat. Still drooling, Gojyo's face twisted in disgust at the boy.

"Gross! Control yourself will ya?" Gojyo immediately unlatched his arm from the boy and started wiping his arm on his jacket. Great, he so needs to bring it to the dry cleaners after and he is going to make the monkey boy pay for it. "You're a monkey not a dog."

"And you're a water sprite!" Goku snickered and avoided Gojyo's fist. Sticking out his tongue, he shouted, "I'm going to beat you to the Sukiyaki place!" With that, he turned on his heels and started running across the field of snow.

The three of them did not make to quicken their pace and just leisurely strolled after their hungry monkey. Laughing aloud, Hakkai said, "It's a really nice day to day. Right?"

"Yeah…" Gojyo replied, unimpressed and gave him a shrug. But then, he could not help but silently agree for the weather today was not all that bad. Sure it was cold, but it was not like they were freezing to death or anything.

Up ahead, Goku stopped in his tracks and glanced back to find the three way behind me. Cupping his mouth with his hands, he called out, "Hey! I'm going to eat all of the food if you three don't hurry up!"

A vein started bulging on Gojyo's head. "Darn that brat…" he muttered. Raising his head up, he shouted back, "Like we'll let you keep all the food to yourself you bottomless pit!"

The monk sighed irritably, but did not produce his paper fan to whack the heads of the two delinquents. The snow crunching softly beneath their feet, he tried to figure out another way to silence these two, permanently. Like hell, would that be possible as who knows how long can these goons continue with their yapping.

"Ah Gojyo!" Hakkai cried out as the half-breed suddenly sprinted his way towards the boy causing a small shower of snow to spray at them.

"Come on you lazy monk!" Gojyo who had captured Goku once again took the honor of prodding the priest with his annoying voice.

Twitching, he reached for his gun and took aim.

------------

"Rien, it's been three years hasn't it?" Seiki asked, lazily tracing the rim of his wine glass.

Both of them had found themselves a quiet bar and decided to indulge themselves with some wine to celebrate the success of the project. Raising a glass to his partner, he asked sadly, "And why do you look so down today?"

Ever since they arrived at the town, Rien had been quiet, only answering Seiki with small gestures but other than that, he has not spoken a single word after they left the unpleasant atmosphere in the Hontou castle. When the question was fired at him, he just briefly glanced at him and reached over for the bottle of wine.

"None of your business…." Rien muttered under his breath, filling his glass with the yellowish liquor.

"Even after three years of working together and yet you still don't trust me…" Seiki said softly, leaning forward with his fingers entwined together. A smile was on his lips, but there sadness was present in those blue orbs of his. "You know, Grandma won't allow you in the house if you come to the doorstep with that awful look on your face." He added teasingly.

"What's the difference? She won't let me in anyway after getting just a glimpse of this face of mine…" Pressing the glass to his lips, he downed his drink and gently set the glass down on the wooden polished counter.

Inwardly chuckling, Seiki could not help but be amused by his dear friend. Signaling at the bartender for another bottle, he said, "Anyway, our job here is done and now I can go do what I've wanted to do for a long time…"

This sparked some interest in the ebony-haired demon and lolled his head towards Seiki. "Oh? And what would that might be?"

Before answering, he took the delicate glassware into his hands and started to twirl it between his fingers. A far-off look in his eyes as he let seconds pass before opening his mouth and said softly, "A journey…"

Moments of silence passed as he watched Seiki sip his wine, with no intention of saying anymore on the topic. For the first time since they came, Rien smirked. "So it's _that _journey…yeah…you kept on talking about it before…"

Seiki agreed with a nod. "That's right and before I forget, you want to listen to the story of when I visited Brazil?"

There was nothing else better to do, so Rein absentmindedly waved a hand, indicating that it was fine with him. "Fire away."

Delighted by this, Seiki wasted no time and started his little take right away, making gestures and drawing pictures on napkins to help the interested demon visualize the place. People slowly trickled out of the small establishment as they let the night fade away and chatted about different topics. And for the first time, Rien actually listened to every detail of the stories.


End file.
